Concentrating apparatus.



l. HECHENBLEIKNER.

CONCENTRA'HNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man NOV. 6. 1914.

. Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

ING-ENUIN nrncnnnrtmknnn,

or cnenro'rrn, ivon'm'cnnotma, nssrenon To sournnnn ELECTED-CHEMICAL COMPANY, or NEW YORK, n. 2., A CORPORATION j 015 NEW JERSJEIL I gfif dtlw.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that "I, INGEnUIN HECHEN- BLEIKNER, a'subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg-and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concentrating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the concentration of acids and the invention is described here: inafter by way of illustration as applied to the concentration of dilute sulfuric acid for I which purpose I have employed this inven- I quantityor mass ofacid which is being coni will be particularly described in the following specification while the broad scope ofv A further paratus for concentrating acids.

' tion to.concentrate the acid to a 98% purity.

A principal object of the invention is to providea very eflicient apparatus for effecting the concentration of a weak acid.

A further object of the, invention is to provide for efiecting the concentration of the acid with as little loss as possible in the A preferred embodiment of my invention my invention will be pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention,-

Figure 1 is a vertical section throu h the apparatus of my invention and which prefer to use in practising my novel method. FlBig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown in 'tfieferring more particularly to the parts, 10 represents any suitable means for maintain'inga bath 8 of the acid which is to be concentrated. This means is preferably in the form illustrated and constructed of a suitablematerial which resists the action of the acid. I prefer to provide this holder or retort with a sheathing 9 of lead or similar material which resists the acid, and construct the wall of a material or lining of suitable brick which also resists thflaotion f h d.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

CONCENTRATJENG APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. so, rare.

Application filed. November 6, 1914. Serial No. 870,624..

The lower portion of the basin is preferably laterally extended and directly over' this basin I prefer to form the concentrator into a tower 10 and in this'tower I prefer to provide a packing 11 of open checkerwork which forms an obstruction in the path .of the liquid acid which I prefer to admit through inlet pipes 12 in the-cover 13 0f the concentrator. This checker-work 11 is preferably supported on suitable arches 1A of brick or other material which will resist the acid.- The lower parts of these arches are cut away so as to form gaps 14: by means ofwhich the entire interior of the basin is made to connect with an outlet valve 25* by means of which the basin may be cleaned when desired.

In order to concentrate the acid I prefer to remove the volatile impurities in the acid without raising the temperature of the bath to the boiling point. In this way, I efl'ect the concentration without substantial loss in the quantity of acid. This is preferably effected through the medium of a heated gas which isf preferably heated to a relatively high temperature such as will permit of the gas passing through the bath in order to take up the .water or other volatile impurities so that the hot gas issues from the bath at a temperature below the boiling point of the bath. In this way although I am' utilizing the highly eflicient high tempera:

. ture of the gas this does not have the efiect ofcarrying off the acid but substantially eliminates the water or similar impurities.

For this purpose, I prefer to provide a blower or fan 1 which draws in atmospheric airand forces the same through a pipe 2 and regulating valve 3 into a branch pipe 4:, which branch pipe preferably connects with two mains or distributing manifolds 5 which are preferably disposed on opposite sides of the concentrator.

I prefer to provide means for heating the air to' about 400 in these manifolds, for

which purpose I prefer to provide oil burners 6 which are preferably arranged in theends of the manifolds .5 and which are also preferably of the atomizer type and therefore provided with air pipes 26 which lead ofi' from the 'I'nainEair pipe connection 2.

These burners-are supplied with fuel through suitable pipes 25. The manifolds or mains 5 are preferably lined with fire brick and covered with a suitable sheathing. In order O to conduct the hot air or other gas from the manifolds through the bath, I prefer to provide a plurality of inclined twyers 7 which lead downwardly from the manifolds so that their mouths are disposed below the level of the bath and as indicated these mouths are preferably disposed 'in a hori-- zontal plane so that the air will pass out of the mouth at all points around its periphery.

In this way, I effect a thorough distribution of the hot air or gas in passing through the.

bath. 1

' 4 The gases. as delivered to the bath are substantially at400 centigrade and the arrangement is such that they pass from the bath-at about 200 centigrade. As the gases pass from the bath, they pass upwardly through the checker-work 11 which forms a baffle for the gases and as the gases pass up wardly they come in contact with weak acid which is admitted through the inlets 12 so as to fall down in a finely divided state, that is, the liquid will trickle down in a descending current coming in contactwith the hot gasespassing upwardly. Inthis way, I

. cause theincoming weak acid to absorb a large portion of the heat of. the gases which are passing out ofthe concentrator and I thereby e'fiect a very substantial economy.

In order to remove' any acid which may still remain in the gases which pass from the tower through the pipe 15, I preferto provide a filter 16Which is built of acidresisting material and filled with a finely divided acid resisting substance 17, said substance being supported preferably on suitable arches 18, also of acid resisting bricks or similar material. The gases pass downwardly through this mass or material 17 and the moisture and acid carried in the gases are deposited and eventuallydrip down into the basin 19 at the bottom of the filter from which this very weak acid can bedrawn ofi through a suitable valve 21. .The outlet at this point is air-sealed in any suitable manner, such as that indicated in Fig. 1. The

waste gases pass from this filter near the base through a suitable pipe' 20fwhich directs the same upwardly.

In order to enable'the manifolds 5 to be cleaned when desired, their upper sides are provided with removable covers 27. The concentrated acid is delivered through a sealed overflow 22'into a cooler 23 which cooler may be cooled by means of a suitable coil23, through which brine or other coolmg medium may be circulated. From the coolerthe concentrated acid may be drawn oil? through a suitable valve 24. All. parts which come in contact with the acid should be of acid resisting material.

Ila is understood that the embodiment of. the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments or forms the invention may, ake a d :I do not Wish to be limited in the practice of the invention nor in my claimsto the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is: i 1. In an apparatus for concentratmg acid, the combmatlon with a container for maln- *taining a bath of the acid to be concentrated,

means for conducting a hot gas in a plurality of separated streams into the bath at a 'point below the surface of the latter for absorbing and carrying off the volatile impurities in the bath, means for admittmg a current of weak acid to the bath from a point above the container to replenish said bath, and means for heating the incoming current of acid by the gas escaping from the bath.

2. In an apparatus for concentrating acids, the combination with a container for holding a bath of the acid to be concentrated, means for introducing a hot gas into the bath at a point below the surface of the latter, said means including a blower, a distributing main connected with the blower and commun1 cat1ng"w1th the container and a heater COIIIIGCtQi'Wlhll the mam, the said gas pass ing throygh the bath to absorb and carry off the volatile impurities therein, means for admitting a current of acid to the bath to replenish the same, means for heating the incoming current of acid by the gas escaping from said bath, and means for subsequently filtering the gas.

3. In an apparatus for concentrating acids, the'combination with a container for holding a bath of the acid to be concentrated, means for passing a hot gas through said bath in a plurality of. separated streams to absorb and carry off the volatile impurities therein, saidmeans includin a-blower, a distributing main connected wlth the blower, a plurality of separated pipes leading from said main and a heater connected with the main, a checker work baffle arranged over said bath and through which bafile the hot gas passes upwardly from the bath, and

means for admitting a current of weak acid so as to descend through said checker work to the bath to absorb the heat of the gases ascending through said checker work bafile.

.4. In an apparatus for concentrating acids, the combination with a container for holding a bath of the acid to be concentrated,

, same into the bath at a point below the surface of the latter.

6. In a concentrating apparatus, the com-' bination with a container for holding a bath of the material to be concentrated, a chamber extending upward from the container, a checker work bafile located in said cham' ber, a gas conduit. leading from the upper end of the chamber, a gas main and a plurality of pipes leading from the gas main to the container and adapted to introduce gas in separated streams from the gas main to the bath in the container.

7. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of a container for holding a bath of the material to be concentrated, a chamber extending upward from the container, a baflie arranged within said chamber, a gas conduit leading froin the upper end of the chamber, a filter connected with said gas conduit, and means, including a distributing main and a plurality of spaced pipes connected with said main and discharging into the bath below the surface of the latter, for passing a gas through the bath in the c011- tainer.

8. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination with "a container for holding a bath of the material to be concentrated, a

chamber extending upward from the container, a checker work baflie located in said chamber, a pair of mains located at 0pp.osite sides of the container, gas conducting pipes leading from the gas main through the container and having their discharge ends adapted to project below the surface of the bath of the material in the container whereby to pass a gas through said bath, and a gas conduit leading from the upper end of the chamber.

9. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination with a container for holding a bathof the material to be concentrated, a chamber extending upward from said container, gas mains located at opposite sides of the container d0wnwardl inclined, gas conducting pipes leading from the mains and adapted to discharge gas into the bath at a point below the surface of the latter, means for introducing a heated gas under pressure into said gas mains, a bafliing device located within the chamber, and a gas conduit leading from the upper end of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

INGENUIN HECHENBLEIKNER. \Vitnesses:

IV. H. MARTIN, J12, E. C. MARSHALL, 

